Amistad

The Freedom Schooner Amistad has arrived in Liverpool as part of its Atlantic tour to mark the bicentenary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. It was a grey, wet day when it arrived and it is here seen conmming out of the rain across the river to moor in the Canning Half Tide dock at the Albert Dock complex in front of the Maritime Museum. It has arrived in time for the opening of the city's new International Slavery Museum on August 23, UNESCO Slavery Remembrance Day.

The Amistad is making a 16-month, 14,000-mile tour of the infamous slave trade triangle with stops at more than a dozen Atlantic ports that played a part in the trade. After its UK stops it will be making its way to Portugal, Madeira, Tenerife and on to the west coast of Africa heading to the Caribbean and the east coast of the USA.

This vessel is a replica of the original ship that was commandeered by African captives in 1839.

In 1839, 53 Africans were kidnapped from West Africa and sold into the transatlantic slave trade and purchased illegally in Havana, Cuba, where they were transferred to the schooner Amistad to be taken to another part of the island.

During the journey the enslaved Africans rose up against their captors, killing the captain and cook, and ordered the crew to sail to Africa. After 63 days, Amistad and her 'cargo' were seized by the USS Washington near Long Island and the Africans were held on charges of murder.

The case took on epic proportions when former US president John Quincy Adams successfully argued before the United States Supreme Court on behalf of the captives. In 1841, the 35 surviving Africans were returned to Africa.

Amistad

The Freedom Schooner Amistad has arrived in Liverpool as part of its Atlantic tour to mark the bicentenary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. It was a grey, wet day when it arrived and it is here seen conmming out of the rain across the river to moor in the Canning Half Tide dock at the Albert Dock complex in front of the Maritime Museum. It has arrived in time for the opening of the city's new International Slavery Museum on August 23, UNESCO Slavery Remembrance Day.

The Amistad is making a 16-month, 14,000-mile tour of the infamous slave trade triangle with stops at more than a dozen Atlantic ports that played a part in the trade. After its UK stops it will be making its way to Portugal, Madeira, Tenerife and on to the west coast of Africa heading to the Caribbean and the east coast of the USA.

This vessel is a replica of the original ship that was commandeered by African captives in 1839.

In 1839, 53 Africans were kidnapped from West Africa and sold into the transatlantic slave trade and purchased illegally in Havana, Cuba, where they were transferred to the schooner Amistad to be taken to another part of the island.

During the journey the enslaved Africans rose up against their captors, killing the captain and cook, and ordered the crew to sail to Africa. After 63 days, Amistad and her 'cargo' were seized by the USS Washington near Long Island and the Africans were held on charges of murder.

The case took on epic proportions when former US president John Quincy Adams successfully argued before the United States Supreme Court on behalf of the captives. In 1841, the 35 surviving Africans were returned to Africa.

comments (8)

I will never forget that movie, Les! In fact, this makes me want to see it again. We need to be reminded of where we've come from and where we're going. We're still not totally there yet but thank god for the changes along the way!